Routine
by Conflate
Summary: Aomine was bored of doing the same thing day after day. All he wanted in his life was for something, anything, to happen and get his blood pumping and make him actually want to get out there and be social and apply himself.
1. Chapter 1

Beep.

Shut up.

_Beep._

_Shut up._

_BEEP._

"Shut up!" Aomine roared at his cellphone as the annoying alarm started going off.

Reaching out from under his covers, he swatted the device from the desk beside his bed and listened as it clattered to the floor, the unnecessary beeping dying out. The battery probably flew out, causing the phone to silence. It wasn't anything special – just your normal flip phone; it was all Aomine needed really. He wasn't into fancy gadgets or those dumb iPhones every one seemed to be carrying around, their noses practically touching the touch screens as they passed.

He was pleased with his phone, and he knew it would never break on him. So, without worrying about getting out of bed to check on the cell now on his floor, he burrowed back into the blankets and willed sleep to come to him once again.

Not even ten minutes later, the alarm on his radio started going off and he sat up with a groan before slamming his hand down on the 'off' button and throwing the covers towards the foot of his bed.

It was a good thing Aomine didn't have a roommate at the moment, or else he was sure the other would have hated him. He was not by any means a morning person. Hell, he wasn't particularly a people person to begin with. He had always kept to himself and minded his own business, sitting in the back of classrooms and mindlessly doodling on his paper instead of taking notes.

The tanned male did have a roommate at one point, though. However, it had barely lasted a day. When the other male walked in and caught site of him and his messy half of the room, he looked over towards his father, mentally telling him that he didn't want to stay there.

Aomine laying in bed with loud rap music playing and looking through some filthy magazine probably didn't help much...

Or at all.

So, as soon as open room changes were available, his "roommate" immediately moved out. The little shit didn't even bother unpacking his things for the first night, he was so set on getting out of there.

What really pissed Aomine off though, wasn't the fact that he left; oh, no. It was the fact that the piece of shit moved into the room next door where it just so happened his supposed "best friend" was living. He could have easily gotten off his ass and walked the whole two feet to the other room, but no. He had to go and leave Aomine by himself. It wasn't that he cared though, his initial plan was to buy out a single and live peacefully like that.

It wasn't all bad though. Having a double with no roommate meant double the beds, double the sleeping space, double the closet space (though he didn't use much of his closet anyway, it was just something else to take over) double the _everything_.

He also made it his life's mission to blast his music as loud as possible to irritate the hell out of his former roommate. With that, he had already received multiple visits from residence assistants who came with calls of complaints and pleads for him to turn his music down. He'd comply and turn the volume down to a dull roar until he was thanked and the RA left; then, it was right back to blasting his tunes.

Pulling himself back to reality, he tossed his legs over the edge of his bed and stood up. The uncarpeted floor was cold against his bare feet and it made his toes curl as he reached over his head to stretch. A small, soft grunt rose in his throat as joints cracked and muscles pulled. Once he was loose and ready to take on the day (or so he told himself), he grabbed his shower caddy from the floor by the door and with his Adidas sandals on his feet, he exited his room and dragged himself down the hall to the bathroom, towel in hand.

* * *

Upon carrying himself back into his room with nothing but a towel around his waist, Aomine shivered and hurriedly closed the door behind him before dropping the bare minimum that was covering him and making to pull on a pair of grey sweats and a black hoodie.

The goosebumps which had risen on his exposed skin eventually died down and he sauntered over to the large window that took up pretty much an entire wall. The tanned male had a habit of sleeping with his half of the window cracked, mainly because his comforter was extremely thick and it made him uncomfortable in the small, stuffy room.

Reaching out, he pushed the window closed and mindlessly rubbed at his arms before sitting on the edge of his bed and pulling on a pair of his favourite mid-calf socks. Curling and uncurling his now warm toes, he stood from his bed once again and pulled a pair of black retro Jordans from the top shelf of his closet. His collection of shoes was on par with that of any girl. Collecting shoes was one of Aomine's favourite past times though, so he didn't care what people thought or said. They were his feet, and if he wanted to spend an insane about of money on a pair of shoes, then so be it.

Now content with his apparel, he combed his fingers through his navy locks before grabbing his room key and school ID and heading out for breakfast before class. He'd be back for his bag, so he had no intention of bringing it with him.

* * *

Everything was routine. He'd wake up at the same time every day, hop in the shower at the same time every day, head out to breakfast at the same time every day... Thankfully, a few of his classes were at different times and he didn't have the same exact class schedule day after day after day, so on and so forth.

It was like high school all over again, basically.

He didn't care then and he didn't care now. His only reason as to why he was attending school now was because his parents forced him. His major was currently undeclared and he had no real intentions of "declaring" one at all. All he really wanted was to play basketball. That's literally _all_ he wanted, it was the only thing he cared about.

He would have loved to go pro or play in college, but his grades were so poor in high school that it was out of the question. Despite that, he still didn't apply himself. All he wanted in his life was some excitement.

To be honest, Aomine was bored of doing the same thing day after day. He was currently standing in line at the small cafe that resided within his dorm on the bottom floor, prepared to order his usual – a glazed cinnamon roll with a small coffee, three cream and two sugar.

This was _college_ supposedly the most exciting time of his life. However, it felt no different than any other day.

All he wanted in his life was for something, anything, to happen and get his blood pumping and make him actually _want_ to get out there and be social and apply himself.

Until then, he guessed he'd continue with his routine. Sitting in the same corner of the cafe; staring out the same window; watching the same people walk by, talking to the same friends.

He wanted something exciting to happen in his life, and he wanted it right _now._


	2. Chapter 2

Yet another day of the same routine.

There he was, sitting in the same spot in the same corner with the same breakfast. What a _surprise_. He should have known better; why would today be any different than the past ones? He blamed everybody _but_ himself, the one person who was truly holding him back from achieving anything in life, the one person who was keeping with the same routine.

Yesterday after he finished his meal he headed off to class where he sat in the same seat, stared out the same window, ignored the same professor. He was so _bored_ of it. He was bored of the annoying, chattering girls around him; the annoying, droning voice of his professor; the hushed whispering going on in the back of the classroom where the professor couldn't hear.

He never spoke to anyone either, so attending class with no one he knew made it all the more boring.

God, when was something going to start exciting him again?

"Hey!"

Just like that, it was as if the tanned male's prayers had been answered. You know, if he believed in cliché bullshit like that.

His gaze snapped over from where it was usually found staring out the window. Now before him sat an over enthusiastic blond; he sat upright, beamed across at him, and lowered his bag from his shoulder onto the floor. Aomine's eyes narrowed into thin slits and he slid back in his seat marginally as if to create distance between him and this sudden newcomer.

"My name's Kise Ryouta!" the blond chirped enthusiastically as he picked at the bagel that was sitting on the table in front of him. "What's yours?"

The question was followed by an eerie silence, at least that's how it felt to Aomine. He had tuned out all sounds around him, even the blond boy – _Kise – _to an extent.

Having been caught staring at the other for far too long, Aomine took note of how he began to fidget in his seat a bit awkwardly. If he felt awkward because of Aomine's lack of voice, maybe he shouldn't have sat there. Problem solved.

However, before he could return to his cinnamon roll, Kise piped up again. This time he explained his reason behind why he was sitting there. To be honest, Aomine found it pretty stupid; ridiculous, even.

"I like to sit with a new person every day!" he stated as he popped a piece of bagel into his mouth, swallowing it before continuing. "It's a great way to make friends, don't you think?"

Aomine almost laughed. _Almost, _but he held it in by biting the inside of his cheek instead.

_How idiotic could this person possibly be?_ Aomine found himself thinking as he raised a brow at Kise's explanation. Who the hell just goes around sitting with complete strangers to make _friends_?

Annoying, preppy people. That's who.

"So, your name?"

The repeated question bounced around in Aomine's thoughts momentarily before he sighed and mumbled under his breath in hopes that the blond wouldn't be able to hear him and would just _leave._

"Aomine Daiki."

Having gotten the reply he was looking for, Kise bounced in his seat for a brief second before settling down and flashing a pearly white smile.

_Nobody should be able to smile like that_, Aomine thought bitterly as he raised his cinnamon roll and took a bite, chewing it extra slow just so that he couldn't answer any more of Kise's annoying questions. He didn't want him sitting there, he didn't want to talk to him. He just wanted to eat his breakfast and get on with his day so he could return to his room after classes and take a much needed nap.

It didn't hit him at that moment, but he was doing the opposite of what he wanted. He wanted things to be different in his life, and this encounter was exactly what he needed...

And yet, he sat there with his foot bouncing off the floor, silently begging for the blond to see a friend of his and scamper off – go back to whatever sunshine-filled universe he came from and to leave him _alone_.

Kise kept talking though, and Aomine took note that he was the type of person that could talk to anyone and everyone and be completely comfortable with it; even if the person he was talking to didn't respond back at all. He was a people person, Aomine was not. Kise gave off a bright, warm, welcoming aura, whereas Aomine gave off one of the most intimidating auras anyone had ever come across.

Most people kept to themselves when he was around; nobody ever made the effort to talk to him, to befriend him. Yet, here was this... This little bundle of sunshine sitting before him, trying to get him to speak, and all he was doing was wishing he'd go away.

He couldn't possibly become any more contradictory in his thoughts and actions.

With an irritated sigh, Aomine rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. Creases started appearing on his forehead out of frustration, and the apparent change in his mood caused Kise to automatically silence.

Was he scared? _Intimidated?_ Did he finally want to leave like most every one else when they were around the tanned male?

Now that the other had shut up, though, Aomine eventually found his voice and asked, "Why the fuck are you sitting with me?"

Dropping his hand back onto the table, he looked Kise's way; his gaze bore daggers through his body, and it caused Kise to flinch uncomfortably.

"Like I said, I like sitting with random people to make friends. Plus, you looked kind of lonely. I've seen you sitting over here a few times without anyone sitting with you or even _around_ you, so I figured I'd take the initiative and start a conversation."

What the fuck? Did this kid think he was going out for the title of 'Saint?' Was Aomine being recorded at this very second? Was this one of those reality shows – What Would You Do? What would you do if an enthusiastic, handsome blond just sits down with you and tries telling you he wants to be your friend?

He was pretty sure that wasn't how that type of show worked, but it seemed plausible at the moment.

He was being Punk'd. That had to be it.

"You do realize nobody sits with me, because they're all intimidated by me, right?"

What was he saying? What was he doing? Why was he trying to explain himself to this Kise character. He was sure that this would be the one and only time he'd actually have to sit and "talk" with him, so what was he doing?

Aomine was subconsciously reaching out to him, that's what he was doing. It wasn't the most graceful approach, but it was the only way he knew how. He was always rash, and that's why most people who started talking to him avoided him soon after. He never had anything to add to the conversation and he had no idea how to keep one going.

Kise tilted his head and raised a brow in slight confusion as he took in Aomine's comment about his intimidation. "Really?" he asked as he tiled his head to the other side and raised a hand so that he could tap his lower lip in thought. "I don't think you're that intimidating."

Oh, bullshit.

_Your flinching a moment ago says otherwise_.

Aomine shook his head and sighed, deciding against verbally expressing his thoughts. The other would most likely find something to say to counter it anyway. He'd probably tell him that he was just misunderstood and that people aren't trying hard enough or looking deep enough... Blah, blah, blah.

Taking a sip from his now cold coffee, Aomine grimaced and tossed the nearly empty cup into the nearby trash can and felt his heart momentarily swell with pride as it went in, considering it was a few feet away.

He heard a soft gasp come from across the table and when he turned to look at Kise with a raised brow, the other was staring at him with wide, excited eyes.

"Nice shot!" the human embodiment of a puppy exclaimed, and Aomine was almost certain he could see his tail wagging and his dog ears perk up as he spoke.

"Uh, thanks?" was all he could manage before he finished off his cinnamon roll and crumpled up the paper plate it was previously sitting on. "I used to play basketball in high school."

There he went explaining himself again to someone he hardly knew and truthfully didn't want to know. His underlying desire for change was slowly surfacing and telling him to try. Try and befriend him. Try and be more open. You can't go all of college without talking to anyone.

This sudden confession of his playing basketball caused Kise's jaw to hang open and his eyes to sparkle.

"So does that mean you're going to try out for the team, too?" he asked as the corners of his lips twitched upwards into a smile.

Aomine merely shook his head before it hit him. "Wait, _too?_"

Nodding enthusiastically, Kise explained that he had gone through most of the sports at his previous high school before discovering basketball and his hidden talent and obvious love for the sport.

He was sure he was being punk'd now. This was too big of a coincidence. Not only did this kid sit down the moment Aomine was thinking about how much he wanted something exciting to happen in his life, but he _just so happened_ to play basketball, too.

"Oh, really?" Aomine asked skeptically as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat.

"Yeah! By the way, if you don't mind me asking, why don't you plan on trying out?"

Mind him asking... That was a joke. Aomine minded being bombarded with all sorts of questions, but who cared? What was one more question anyway.

Not really knowing what to say, the tanned male shrugged his shoulder and turned his gaze towards the window where he watched the same people from the day before walk down the sidewalk with their same friends headed to the same location. Today, however, here Aomine sat with actual _company_, and much to Aomine's distaste, the longer Kise sat there and talked to him, the more he was beginning to appreciate him being there.

"My grades aren't that great," he admitted as he turned his attention back to the blond and dropped his hands into his lap. His grades (and lack of motivation) were what was keeping Aomine from trying out for the team. Even if he was the best there was, there was no way they'd be able to accept him with his far below average grades.

"I can help tutor you if you want."

Where did that offer come from?

_Tutor_ him?

The thought along caused Aomine's stomach to churn uncomfortably and his brows pinched together. Never in his life had he needed to rely on someone else like that. It was always him; only him. Well... He guessed he couldn't exactly say that. Past teachers had always tried getting through to him, but he was just too stubborn. His stubbornness sent him into failure, and that's where he had been stuck since the beginning of this high school career.

"What's your major anyway?" Kise then asked, finishing off his bagel and piling Aomine's crumpled up plate atop his own. "I'm a forensic science major, but maybe we have some similar classes."

Aomine practically froze at the question presented to him. His major? That was a joke.

_What major?_

"I'm undeclared as of right now," he stated almost angrily before returning to crossing his arms over his chest.

"So you're taking basic things right now, am I right?"

Why did he care so much? Was he really, truly concerned? Why did it matter? It wasn't like Aomine wanted to be in college to begin with. All he wanted was to play basketball, and yet he couldn't even do that due to his poor grades.

"Yeah."

_Fuck._

_Stop responding to him, you idiot._

"I'm talking Freshman Comp. right now. That's something we might have in common," he mused before humming in thought. "What math are you taking at the moment?"

"PreCalculus..."

"Same here!" Kise chirped happily before clapping his hands together once. "So, there are two classes I can help you with. Do you know what direction you want to go when you finally choose a major? For instance, are there any electives that you're taking right now that might fit under something you're looking at?"

Aomine just shook his head. God, he felt so _stupid_.

Here was this peppy, ditsy looking blond and yet he had his life together more than Aomine did and probably ever could hope for. Guess you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover after all.

"Well, I can help you with Comp. and PreCalc," Kise stated as he reached into his bag and pulled out his phone. Aomine nearly cringed when he saw it. One of those good for nothing iPhones everybody seemed to have and Aomine couldn't get away from.

He watched as Kise started scrolling through it, typing something quickly, and then returning to his scrolling. Aomine found it kind of rude that he was now being ignored. The realization caused him to scoff and he turned his head away. Why did he care? He kept telling himself he wanted Kise to leave and yet here he was acting like a child over the fact that the other suddenly pulled out his phone.

Before he knew it, that same phone was being slid across the table his way.

"Here, put your number in," Kise said as he withdrew his hand to wait for Aomine to pick the device up.

Cautiously, Aomine picked up the phone and stared down at the illuminated screen. His name was already typed in, and the spot for the phone number was already clicked; the flashing blue bar indicated it was selected. With his brow raised, Aomine typed in his number before sliding the phone back across the table.

He watched as a bright smile once again curled onto Kise's lips and it caused Aomine to shake his head. This boy was too happy and friendly for his own good.

It was almost appalling.

"Great!" Kise exclaimed as he pocketed his phone and reached down to pick up his bag. Standing from his seat, he pushed his chair back in and picked up the used paper plates on the table. "Well, I need to head to class. My building's all the way on the other side of campus. It's about a seven minute walk from here, and class starts in ten. It was really nice meeting you!" he said as he turned to throw away their trash. Looking over towards Aomine with a kind smile, Kise adjusted his bag straps before saying, "I'll text you later. Have a good day, Aomine."

With that, Aomine watched as a bright ray of sunshine walked out of the cafe and was instantly bombarded by a group of guys and girls – it wasn't surprising that the other male had a large group of friends. He was inviting, and friendly, and warm...

Suddenly, Aomine felt as if the world around him became dark once again. His prior disgruntled demeanor returned as he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, trudging outside and in the direction of his first class.

_What the hell just happened?_


	3. Chapter 3

It was a bit chilly for an autumn day. Though the sun was out, the wind was strong and it forced Aomine to zip up his jacket and stick his hands deep into his pockets. If the fall weather was going to be this bad, he was dreading winter already. To be completely honest, he wasn't that fond of the snow – he never was. Instead of tumbling around outside like a fool, like _every one else_, he preferred staying in where it was warm and dry and no one could shove snow down the back of his coat.

College wasn't going to be any different. He told himself that there was to be no going outside, not even if the place was on fire. Except for maybe classes; his parents was paying for them, so he might as well go to them. Though he didn't really want to go to begin with.

He'd much rather bundle up in bed, play an action movie at full volume to annoy the residents on his floor or watch whatever basketball game might be on at the time, and drink something warm. Preferably coffee; he had taken a liking to it ever since he entered school. That's why every morning he'd order himself a coffee with three cream and two sugar, as per usual. Even on the weekends when he wasn't in the mood to walk down the few flights of stairs to the cafe, he'd start up his instant coffee maker and pop in one of those tiny, over priced cups of coffee grounds which he'd just pop it and hit 'brew.'

Said coffee maker was a gift from his parents, just like all of the other objects of various sorts decorating his dorm room: his television, laptop, printer, gaming system... One would be right to call him a spoiled child; considering he was the only son to two relatively wealthy parents, he was.

His father was the Superintendent of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and had hopes of moving up in the ranks to the title of Superintendent-General. His mother started off as a hostess in a big name bar where she happened to meet Aomine's father. He saw potential in her and thought she didn't deserve to be working such a job and living such a life. So, from there, he helped her get a job as a secretary in the station where he worked.

Needless to say, they were fairly well off and with Aomine being their only child, he was the sole one to receive their love and affection.

The teen's father wanted him to attend university with the mindset of joining the police force as well, and Aomine considered if, but it just wasn't for him. Basketball was his life, and that's why when he discovered a school in America that had a great team and was willing to pay for him to join them, he and his parents hoped on board instantly.

However, with his grades how they were towards the end of his final year in high school, after he was already accepted, there was no way for him to play in college. It struck not only him hard, but his parents as well. He'd be able to attend school for the first semester with his scholarship taking care of his first semester tuition, but after the first semester, his parents were responsible for paying.

He received numerous lectures from his mother and father, both telling him that he needed to raise his grades to at least the bare minimum if he wanted to regain his scholarship and play basketball. He would agree just to get them to stop talking, but in the end he did feel bad. They all had left behind their old lives to move to America so Aomine could attend a school willing to pay for everything, and by the time they had found out about his situation, it was too late to back out.

Currently, Aomine's father is working as an officer in the New York Police Department in New York City, and his mother managed to obtain another job as a secretary in the department thanks to a recommendation her former supervisor sent over. In comparison to where his parents work, Aomine attends school a few hours away. His parents didn't want to work so far away, but they were the best paying jobs they could find that were relatively close to their son.

His mother makes sure to call him every night though, and insists that he sign up for that fancy "Skype" program she's heard so much about; that way she can not only talk to him, but see his face as well. Aomine always promises that he'll get around to it, but never does. He just doesn't really care that much. His parents were rarely home due to their jobs, and when they were it was usually one or the other. They were almost never home at the same time unless it was a holiday or they made arrangements before hand.

Aomine tells himself that if he could manage going years with rarely seeing his parents, he doesn't need to make the effort to see them now.

* * *

The tanned male takes a seat in his normal spot in the back of his Freshmen composition classroom. Supposedly they're going to have a quiz on the reading material from over the weekend, and it just so happens that he hasn't read it. It's times like these where he wishes he communicated with other people. That way they would just let him cheat off them instead of him needing to make up bullshit answers and awkwardly craning his neck this way and that in order to see the papers of those around him without making the professor suspicious.

Thankfully, the girl seated beside him notices that he's trying to look off the paper of the male situated on his other side, so she softly clears her throat to get his attention and nudges her paper a little closer to the edge so Aomine can see.

He doesn't comprehend why someone would so willingly let him cheat off them, but he doesn't question it. All he hopes is that she knows what she's doing, because he can't afford to fail.

If only he applied himself a little more and read the material himself...

After the quizzes are collected, the rest of the class drags on and Aomine sits and doodles in the margins of his still empty notebook. He figures nothing the professor is saying really matters, because no matter what major he finally decides on, he knows that _freshmen composition_ won't be playing a major roll in it. Although, it would help him with his written English.

Considering his Japanese background, English, whether spoken or written, isn't his strong suite. He has the minimum knowledge from his classes in high school and even some he learned from a friend back in Japan – Kagami Taiga was his name, and considering he lived in America for years, he had a more broad grasp on the English language than Aomine did. They studied together for days before Aomine's move, and the tanned male was truly grateful for that, though he didn't verbalize his thanks.

Before he knows it, he's being pulled from his own little world when the professor states that they're free to leave. They had finished going over the planned material for the day apparently, Aomine wouldn't know, but now he's left with half an hour before his next class starts. If he had friends, he would have gone and hung out with them to pass the time. Instead he returns to his dorm room alone where he crawls onto his bed, turns on the TV, and waits.

* * *

Aomine doesn't realize he falls asleep until his eyes open heavily and he stares at the clock beside his TV. It's three-thirty; he slept through the remainder of his classes that day. A frustrated groan brushes past his lips as he rolls onto his stomach and buries his head into his arms which he holds across his pillow.

He can't help but feel disappointed in himself. All these hopes and wishes to break from his normal routine and apply himself more rattle around in his mind, yet he goes and sleeps through all of his classes without a care in the world.

Failure.

That's what he is and that's what he's going to do. He's going to end up flunking out of college and becoming a disgrace to his family. He can't play basketball, the one thing he wanted to do while in college, he can't motivate himself to care enough about his grades, he can't bring himself to care about _anything_, really. It's disgusting and frustrating and upsetting and he can't help but slam his forehead against his forearm in anger before pushing himself off his bed so that he can pace his room.

Something needs to change, _he_ needs to change. It has to be him that makes these changes. He's an adult, almost in his twenties. His parents aren't going to be there to hold his hand through everything; he's responsible for himself now.

Picking up his laptop, Aomine hops back up onto his his bed and opens the device. As it boots up, he prepares himself to email his professors and explain to them that he had fallen asleep on accident and that he would like to meet with them personally to receive the missed material and apologize in person.

When he gets to his school's emailing system, he clicks the 'New Mail' option and just as he's about to start typing he freezes.

His gaze is set on his hands which he didn't realize until now are trembling. Words start flying through his head, but he has no idea how to actually word what he wants to say. Not only that, but his English is far from mediocre, so he concludes that there's no way he can write a professional, logical email in hopes that his professors will understand them.

Now more frustrated than before, he closes his laptop and tosses it against his pillow. Navy brows pinch together in disgust and he stands from his bed once more and grabs his keys from his bag, pulls on his shoes, and heads out.

If he can't write what he wants to say, he'll show up at their offices and say it in person.

* * *

Aomine never was the brightest bulb in the bunch. It wasn't only his grades that proved this, but his actions as well.

As soon as he stepped out of his dorm building and headed towards the class buildings, he realized that he had no idea where any of his professor's classrooms were; that, and he didn't even know their names.

So that's how he ends up in the dining hall, sitting beneath the stairwell at a small, round high-top table angrily eating a hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and onions.

People pass and steal glances his way, and he's quick to scare them back with a deadly glower. He can feel his forehead wrinkling and his eyes narrowing as he glares down at the burger between his hands, and he's so pissed off at himself that he can barely stomach his food.

_You should have looked at the goddamn syllabus,_ he mentally growls at himself as he bites into his burger and swallows without even tasting it.

A few more tasteless bites later, Aomine gives up and tosses his burger back down onto the wrapper and rolls it up before tossing it over his shoulder. It lands perfectly in the trash a few feet behind him and it's as if he's in a recap of earlier that day in the day. He hears a quiet gasp from behind him and when he turns around, there stands that blond from earlier, what was his name again?

Oh yeah, _Kise Ryouta._

Before Aomine can look away as if he hadn't seen the other, Kise is already making his way over to the opposite side of the table.

"Fancy meeting you here!" he chirps as he climbs up into the tall chair and sets his backpack on the table.

Aomine grumbles in response. No words, just noise. He pulls out his container of fries from within his plastic bag and begins shoving them into his mouth three at a time in hopes it keeps him from having to talk to the blond and that he'll just go away.

"How was your day?" Kise asks as he unzips his bag and rummages through it, pulling out a binder and a pen. He gingerly sets his bag on the floor and then opens his binder to a fresh page and pulls out what looks to be a worksheet from the front pocket.

The tanned male watches as Kise sets to work on whatever he's doing without a care in the world and it's not until he sees him look up with his pen an inch from the paper that it registers in his mind that he was asked a question.

His response is a mere shrug and he pushes a few more fries past his lips and chews them slowly, giving him more time to stay silent.

Just as he suspected, Kise pipes up without worry.

"Oh, come on. Something exciting had to have happened," he states before going back to writing.

He truly doesn't know what to say.

"I slept through most of my classes today," he finally confesses a few seconds later.

His words cause Kise to stop writing and he notices him look up from his paper with worry etched on his features. Why the hell is he looking at him with such pity? The look he's receiving irritates the teen and he aggressively pops another fry into his mouth.

"On purpose or by accident?" Kise questions as he tilts his head to the side and sets his pen down on the paper.

"On accident, you idiot."

Aomine's response comes out in an almost-shout and he digs his nails into his palm as he makes a fist under the table. He didn't mean to come off as harsh, but having someone he didn't even _know_ question him like he cared bugged the hell out of him.

"Okay, okay," Kise mutters and holds up his hands in defense. "Just thought I'd ask. Some people just don't care about school and spend all of their time avoiding class and sleeping."

It pisses Aomine off even more that Kise was placing him in that category.

An awkward silence falls over them as Kise lowers his hands and picks up his pen; his honey-brown orbs remain on Aomine for a few second more before he returns to writing.

A lot of deep breathing and mental preparation later and Aomine finally calms down enough. The first word that bursts from his lips is the last word he would have ever thought he'd be saying to a complete stranger.

"Sorry."

It's soft and quite and grumbled, but it causes Kise's head to raise slowly, eyes wide. It ticks Aomine off that he looks so shocked, but he tries to not let it get to him this time.

"There's no reason to be sorry," Kise chuckles awkwardly before tapping the end of his pen against his paper. "It was my fault for butting into your business."

He flashes a soft, gentle smile before looking back down at his paper. This time however, Aomine realizes, Kise doesn't continue writing. He's just sitting there staring blankly at his own words.

Maybe he's reading, Aomine ponders before placing his empty container inside his bag and pushing it aside. He hasn't the slightest clue what to say; he was never good with talking to people and the one time he met the blond prior to now, the other did all the talking.

Having someone who seemed to always have something to say suddenly fall silent made Aomine uneasy.

Just as he's about to open his mouth and return Kise's question as to how his day went, the blond blurts out another question before Aomine can speak.

"Am I bothering you?"

Aomine takes his question into consideration and blinks once, twice, before opening his mouth again.

"If so, I can leave."

Slightly irritated once again, Aomine growls quietly and shakes his head before sighing and rubbing his temple.

"No, you're not bothering me," he admits as he drags his hand across his face and then down until it falls from his chin onto the table with a gentle thud. "It's just that I'm pissed I slept through my classes and when I went to email my professors and explain to them, I... I couldn't."

He can feel the tips of his ears burning at his confession and he chews the inside of his lips as his nails mindlessly scratch at the table top.

"Why not?"

Another shrug and Aomine raises his arm, elbow still against the table, and presses his cheek into it.

"English isn't my first language, so it's hard for me to write in it," he confesses before turning his head so that his mouth is concealed.

He can't tell if Kise is shocked or amused by what he says, but by this time he doesn't even care.

"If English isn't your native language, do you mind me asking what is?"

When 'Japanese' rolls off his tongue, he looks up and notices Kise beaming across at him. Before he has the chance to be confused, he's hit with a surprise and can't help but be shocked.

"Oh, really?" Kise says, almost instantly flipping over into speaking Japanese. "What a coincidence! I'm the same!"

It takes him a minute of staring at Kise before Aomine can respond and when he does it's in his mother tongue; he immediately feels more relaxed, comfortable, and at ease.

"Why didn't you say something before?" Aomine hisses under his breath as he drops his arm onto the table and leans on it.

"How was I supposed to know?" Kise pouts before chuckling. "That does explain why your English is so broken and terrible though."

The blond's statement causes Aomine's eyes to narrow and he huffs, crosses his arms over his chest like a petulant child, and turns his head.

"It's not that bad," he tries to defend, but when Kise hits back with an 'Oh, yes it was,' he groans and sighs. "You don't even look Japanese. And your English is too good!"

Kise laughs at Aomine's comment and watches as he takes in his blond hair, his honey-brown eyes, his rather pale skin.

"Not to be rude or anything, but neither do you."

A scoff brushes over Aomine's lip and he rolls his eyes. He can't help but agree; his blue hair and tanned skin makes him stick out even here. Curse his family's genes.

"So what are you doing here then?" he asks as he watches Kise's pen finally return to scribbling across the paper.

"Well, I'm here as an exchange student!" Kise chimes as he briefly raises his head to give Aomine a smile. "It's my dream to be a well-known and well-respected forensic scientist, and this school has a great program. Plus, the tuition is affordable. I actually modeled back in Japan, and my parents wanted me to continue doing that, but I chose to pursue my dream. This is something I've wanted to do for the longest time, and I'm really excited to finally be doing it."

Aomine takes note of the smile on Kise's face and the joy in his voice as he talks about his dreams and ambitions and then it hits him.

"Wait, did you say you were a _model_?"

Kise's response is nothing but a hum as he continues writing, flipping the paper over as to continue on the back.

"So, you play basketball, study forensic science, _and_ model. Is there anything else you're keeping from me, pretty boy?"

His tone is sarcastic and surprisingly playful for it having com from Aomine, and when Kise looks back up with a bashful smile and softened gaze he raises his pen to his lips and bites on the end in thought before replying.

"Well... I'm looking to join a fraternity, too."

For some reason, Aomine saw that coming and he can't help but scoff and roll his eyes.

"What a surprise," he teases lightly. "What are you? The poster child for a perfect student?"

A shrug is all he gets from Kise before the other closes his binder and drops his pen into his open bag on the floor.

"Your life is what you make of it, so I'm trying to make mine the best and most exciting it can be. I want to experience college for all it is and enjoy myself. You only live once, so might as well have fun and do good while you can."

When Kise opened his mouth, Aomine wasn't expecting some philosophical life lesson to come out of it. The blond's words really struck him and he finds himself sitting there with his jaw hanging slightly. This causes Kise to chuckle as he lifts his bag and zips his binder inside before stepping down from his chair and slinging said bag over his shoulder.

"I have to get going now," he says, still speaking comfortably in their native tongue. "I have more homework in my room to finish before dinner, and then I plan on practicing for tryouts after. It was nice seeing you again, Aomine! We should get breakfast tomorrow or something. That is, if you don't sleep through the day again."

His words are teasing and playful, but they cause Aomine's eyes to narrow. Just when Kise waves and turns to leave, a sudden rush overcomes Aomine and he hopes from his chair, calling out to him.

"Hey, wait!" he exclaims, ears burning again.

The mention of basketball a few moments prior got his heart racing and as he stood there, staring Kise dead in the eye, he swallowed over the lump in his throat, took a deep breath and demanded, "Let me play with you."

Kise stands there in momentary shock before smiling softly and nodding his head once.

"Alright. If you really want to then come to my room. You can hang out there while I finish my work."

Aomine hadn't realized it himself, but as Kise turned around and headed off, his bag was already on his back and he was following behind him like a lost puppy.

It's strange how the world works.


	4. Chapter 4

Kise's room is a lot _cleaner_ than Aomine's, that's for sure. His dirty clothes are thrown in a hamper situated by the dresser in his closet; his shoes are lined neatly on the higher shelves, by the end of his bed, and even on the boot tray by the door (he seems almost as meticulous as Aomine when it comes to shoes – _almost_); his books are aligned on his desk in order of height. He even has one of those calendar white boards by his desk and it's already filled up.

The organization of the blond's room isn't the only thing that catches Aomine off guard. It looks ten times _brighter_ in there as well. Aomine figures it was because the blind is open whereas in his own room it's normally closed.

"You can sit on my bed if you'd like," Kise hums as he takes a seat at his desk and starts pulling a few things from his bag before setting it on the ground.

How Kise and his roommate have their room set up is slightly different from how Aomine's was prior to him moving both beds together and pushing both desks up against the wall.

The beds are on opposite sides of the room, and in between them is a desk, the other is at the foot of the bed furthest from the door. The two bedside tables which would normally be placed in between the beds, are stacked atop each other at the foot of his roommate's bed. There's a ledge in front of the window where both Kise and his roommate seem to have placed their televisions and gaming systems. Aomine, personally, has everything piled across his two desks.

The tanned male is courteous enough to remove his sneakers and place them on the mat before stepping further into the room. Kise's roommate is still in class, the blond tells him as he slides a book from his collection and opens it to a specific page, and says that he won't be back for a few more hours – he's in the middle of one of his labs, apparently, Aomine had stopped paying attention before he could hear which one.

He takes a seat on the bed and folds his hands together in his lap, not knowing what to do. It actually feels a little awkward sitting in someone else's room, not knowing them, and waiting for them to finish their work. Seeing as Aomine isn't the best at conversation either, he doesn't speak and the only sound heard is Kise's pen flying across a piece of lined paper.

So, instead of talking, Aomine turns his attention to the array of video games lined up next to each other on the ledge between the wall and Kise's console – an Xbox 360 to be exact. Nothing really piques his interest until narrowed eyes land on what looks to be the newest release of his favourite video game series: _NBA 2K13_. Though it's nearly a year old by this time, he had never gotten the chance to play it; _2K12_ was the last version he got his hands on, and seeing as _2K14_ would be coming out the next month, he figured he'd just wait.

No longer caring if he's being "polite" or not, he leans across the bed and pulls it from the line, not paying attention as the rest of the games slide down into the now empty space. His hands flip the case over after taking in the figures of Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, and Blake Griffin who decorate the front cover, and his eyes scan the description on the back.

By this time, Aomine's too consumed in his finding that he doesn't realize Kise has stopped writing and is watching him.

"You can play if you want," the blond chimes in quietly and laughs as Aomine jumps in shock. The tanned male's ears burn out of humiliation and he rolls his eyes, more at himself than anything. Looking back down at the case in his hands from where he had glanced up at Kise he bites his tongue before sighing.

"Really?" is all he manages to mutter before turning his head back so he can eye the blond. Receiving a nod and an 'Of course!' in reply, he nods in return as if to say he understands.

"I can't have my company bored, now can I?" Kise chuckles as he pushes his chair back to stand. Padding over towards his TV, he turns it on along with his console and holds his hand out so that Aomine can hand him the case. Once everything is set and he retrieves a controller from his desk, Kise hands it over to the now impatient teen and laughs as Aomine is quick to make himself at home on his bed. He pulls his legs up and piles the few pillows the blond has behind him so he can lean better.

Kise returns to his desk and sits back down. At first, he drowns out the sound of the game; he promised himself that he'd get all of his work done before he leaves to practice. However, it's when he hears the initial growl of the male sprawled across his bed that his attention is diverted and he finds himself watching the screen more than actually paying attention to his own work.

* * *

By the time Kise's phone vibrates against his desk, signaling that it's now seven o'clock (the time he gives himself to have his homework done by), only half of his work is done. He had gotten too caught up in the animated game on the screen that he wasn't aware of just how fast time was passing. Frustrated, he turns off the alarm and closes his pencil in his book. It was the first time since classes had started that he hadn't finished his work according to his schedule. He liked having time after his personal practices to watch TV or play video games much like the blue-haired teen was doing.

If this was the only time it were to happen though, he'd get over it.

He hears the sound of his door being opened and when he looks over, his roommate stands in the doorway and gives him a smile. Kise returns the smile with that of his own and is about to ask how his day was when Aomine hops off his bed howling in triumph with his arms raised over his head.

Turning to look at the TV, Kise notices the score displayed on the screen and chuckles briefly as it clearly states Aomine's win over the other team.

"Good job," he cheers happily and raises his hand to high-five the exuberant male. For some reason, Kise's actually shocked that Aomine returns the high-five and is even more surprised when he sees the way his eyes are wide in excitement and a grin is plastered across his face. It's probably because he's seen the other do nothing but scowl and glower the two times he's spoken to him prior to this moment.

Noticing Kise's roommate is standing in the room alongside them, Aomine's excited antics die down and what was once a grin is now nothing more than a pursed straight line. He sluggishly sits back down on Kise's bed, not paying much attention to him or the fact that Kise's introducing the other male. It's not that he doesn't care, it's that...

Okay, he doesn't care.

Thankfully, once it registers that Kise's done talking to his roommate and is now addressing him, he snaps out of his trace, pauses his game, and looks over his shoulder. An uninterested 'hah?' rolls off his tongue as he sets the controller atop his thigh and shifts a little more so he can better see the blond.

Kise merely chuckles and repeats himself once he realizes that Aomine hadn't heard him.

"I asked if you wanted to head out to dinner now. I know you already ate, but seeing as you want to practice after, you might as well tag along. Either that, or you can stay here and keep playing and I can bring something back with me and we can go from there."

It's at that point that Aomine concludes that Kise does in fact talk _a lot_, and he hadn't even realized that the other had switched back to English in the presence of his roommate... Whatever his name is.

Not wanting to sound like an outcast by speaking in Japanese in front of his new acquaintance, Aomine shrugs a shoulder and responds in his not-as-good-as-Kise's English. "It's fine. I'll go."

The way Kise's face lights up at his statement irks Aomine for some unknown reason and it's not until the blond stands and grabs his lanyard where his room key and student ID are hanging off of that he, himself, stands as well. He watches as Kise stuffs the key and ID from his back pocket, letting the lengthy cord dangle behind him. It resembles a tail the way it softly sways back and forth with every movement the blond makes, and Aomine can't help but think that it makes the other look even more like an excited puppy than he already does.

Following suit, Aomine pockets his few belongings and with a quick nod in the direction of Kise's roommate, he heads out after the blond.

* * *

Seeing as it's been a few hours since Aomine last ate, he's already hungry again and is grateful for the eighteen meals a week meal plan his parents agreed to pay for upon his entering college. After ordering another hamburger, and this time actually feeling as if he'll be able to stomach it, he trails behind Kise as they take an empty seat by the large, wall-sized window.

By this time, the sun has already set and the few lampposts that line the walkways between buildings have lit up; there aren't many of them though, so it's still pretty dark outside.

As soon as Aomine pulls his burger from his take-out bag and unwraps it, he squirts a packet of ketchup onto the patty and places the bun back on top. Just as he raises it to his lips to take a bite, he notices Kise pull a clear container filled with salad and grilled chicken form his bag. He hadn't been paying attention when the other ordered, but know that he knows that the only thing he got was a salad, he can't help but scoff; this action attracts the blond's attention and causes him to raise his gaze and quirk a brow.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Aomine asks comfortably in his native Japanese as he takes a large bite from his burger, nearly groaning at just how appetizing it tastes after not having much of an appetite the first time.

He watches as Kise shrugs his shoulders and opens the container, pulling a small packet of low-fat Italian dressing from his bag along with a fork.

"I don't mind eating healthy," he says as he rips the packet open and drizzles it's contents over the mess of greens and lettuce. "Plus, it's actually quite filling with the chicken, and they grill it so nicely. Sometimes I indulge though, and go for a burger myself, sometimes soup. I guess I haven't grown that accustom to American food yet. How's your burger?" he finishes by asking.

Aomine watches as Kise stabs at a piece of chicken, catching a few pieces of lettuce on the tines of his fork, and raises it to his lips where he draws it in and begins to chew. His gaze catches Aomine's as he chews and the corner of his lips turn upward the slightest bit as he awaits Aomine's answer.

"It's pretty good," Aomine states upon swallowing his first bite, looking the burger over for a few seconds before adding, "I mean, I've had better."

Kise nods as if agreeing with him and picks at some more lettuce before pulling it up towards his mouth. Aomine's positive he's never come across anyone as graceful as Kise when it comes to eating. Hell, he carries himself with pride and walks with the grace of a gazelle from what Aomine's seen so far. It makes him curious as to how well he can play basketball.

That thought alone causes his heart to race in anticipation and he scarfs down the remainder of his burger and pulls out his container of fries once he crumbles up his wrapper. It's been a while since he last picked up a ball just for the hell of it, and having someone who claims to be trying out for the team must be pretty good; Aomine hopes Kise can at least keep up with him and wonders if he'll be able to keep up with Kise.

They eat in relative silence from there, and seeing as Aomine's the first to finish, he pulls out his phone and mindlessly scrolls through the few contacts it holds all while listening to the conversations of others around him.

Some girl is talking about how drunk she plans to get over the weekend with her friends, a couple of guys are discussing the _hot chicks_ they've banged since the semester started, and a small group of individuals are discussing what seems to be their current favourite television shows. Nothing really interests the blue-haired male enough, so he sighs out of boredom as he waits for Kise to finish.

It's when he looks up from his phone to see if Kise's almost done with his salad that he notices the other watching him.

"What?" he asks, no, _snaps_ at the blond as he flips his phone closed and draws his hands under the table where he rests them in his lap.

Kise shakes his head and sets his fork down in his now empty container. He grabs a napkin from the dispenser to wipe his lips before responding.

"I was just wondering why you have such an old phone is all. I remember when they were popular back in Japan, but then everyone went and got iPhones," he says as he pulls his own phone from his front pocket and lays it on the table in front of him. "Didn't jump on the bandwagon like I did, huh?"

Though his tone of voice is playful and there's an apparent smile on his lips, Aomine can't help but grumble back in response.

"I hate those phones," he says with a soft 'tsh' added to the end of his sentence. "Not only do they break easily, but they don't have as good battery life and I like my phone how it is."

He feels almost like a child at this point and hadn't realized he had crossed his arms over his chest until they fall back down so his hands can once again rest in his lap.

A soft chuckle is heard from across the table and when Aomine raises his gaze to glare at the blond, Kise holds up his hands as if to defend himself. He doesn't do a good job of it as another chuckle bubbles to life.

"That's your reason then? I guess I won't question your choice, but just so you know, you can get special cases that help to keep them from breaking easily, and if you don't have as much junk on it as some people do, then the battery can last for a long while. There are even certain phone cases you can get that charge it for you! But if it's not for you, I understand. I like it though, because it helps me stay organized and it's more convenient in my opinion."

Halfway through Kise's explanation, Aomine had tuned him out and merely turned his gaze to stare at the back of the head of the person behind Kise to make it look as if he were at least paying attention to him. It seemed to have worked due to the fact the blond had yet to silence himself.

When he realizes that Kise has in fact finished speaking, Aomine flicks his eyes back so that he's looking at Kise's face and yawns in reply.

"So, are you done eating yet? Ready to go practice?"

An excited nod is the only thing he receives in return and as Kise stands to throw his trash away, Aomine does the same and they exit the dining hall to head towards the gym where the court is located.

* * *

Though he isn't dressed for the occasion, Aomine doesn't particularly mind. Finally having a ball in his hands after so long causes a grin to appear on his lips. They're the only two in the gym and the sound of the ball bouncing off the flooring echoes throughout the room and Aomine huffs out what appears to be a breathy laugh before he turns and shoots the ball. It sails through the hoop with ease, not hitting the backboard or the rim – a perfect swish.

He hears a low whistle from behind him as he sets off to retrieve the ball and when he looks over his shoulder he seems Kise watching him with a smile.

"You weren't lying when you said you were good," the blond says with a shake of his head. "I guess I really didn't have to see it to believe it with all the shots you've made into the trash and all."

Aomine snorts at Kise's remark. "If you think that's all I've got, you haven't seen anything yet."

From there they warm up, jogging the length of the court a few times before stretching. Given what Aomine's wearing, he's not the least bit comfortable, but in hopes to help with that he tugs off his shirt and tosses it beside his jacket on one of the benches lining the walls. With that out of the way, he feels as if he can breathe a little better and turns to Kise who's setting up to shoot from the free throw line. With his own ball placed on his hip, Aomine watches as the ball soars through the air and through the hoop just as gracefully as the blond himself, and strangely enough it looked like his shot from just a few minutes prior.

Now intrigued, Aomine dribbles the ball as he makes his way over to Kise who's walking over to his own.

"Not bad," the tanned teen calls from behind the other, causing him to turn around with his shirt covering his mouth from where he's in the middle of wiping off what appears to be sweat.

"Let's see what you really got there, blondie," Aomine teases as he rolls his ball aside, over towards their belongings before taking a defensive stance near the opposite hoop. Seeing as they're only using the practice, half-court hoops for the time being, Kise isn't standing as far away from him.

From where he is, he can see the growing smirk on the blond's lips and his eyes soon dart to the ball as the other approaches.

* * *

What feels like an eternity later, they're both sitting on a bench with their heads tilted back trying to catch their breath. Somewhere along the way, Kise had discarded of his shirt as well, leaving it somewhere across the gym.

As they sat there, their soft panting echoing throughout the gym, Aomine thought back on the playful game they both participated in. He couldn't help but realize that whatever he through at Kise, the blond was quick to fire back almost exactly. He had never seen someone with such an ability, if it even _was_ an ability, but he kept his mouth shut for the time being.

"Not bad," he finally said once he caught his breath and pushed himself from the bench so that he could pull his shirt on over his sweaty torso, "But it looks like I beat you this time, Kise."

"Hey, that's not fair! We weren't even keeping score!" he retaliated, brows pinching together in frustration as he, too, stood up so that he was eye level with Aomine. "I demand a rematch and this time we'll actually tally the points! I could have swore I had more than you!"

A chuckles burst past Aomine's lips at Kise's assumption that he won, and it earned him a pitiful pout from the other.

"No more for now. I'm tired and it's already late. Maybe we can practice again tomorrow or the day after or something."

Having heard the suggestion, Kise lights up like the sun and nods his head excitedly in agreement.

"Alright, fine!" he exclaims as he jogs off to grab his shirt and pull it on over his head before making his way back over. "You better keep your word on that, Aominecchi. I won't let you live it down if you don't."

Just as he's about to reply with a witty comment of Kise never being able to beat him, his brows furrow and he opens his mouth to speak.

"Aomine_cchi_?" he parrots back, raising a navy brow and picking up his jacket. "What's with that?"

"Oh!" Kise breathes, a soft blush painting his cheeks – or maybe it's from the warmth of the gym after their play, Aominse doesn't know - "It's just a thing I add onto the end of people's name when I come to respect them! After what you just showed me, I think it's fair to say you're deserving of it as well!"

Aomine doesn't know whether to make fun of him and laugh or just go along with it, but the way Kise's beaming at him like he just showed him the greatest spectacle on Earth causes him to reconsider his decision, leaving him to merely sigh.

"I guess it's alright then," he grumbles out as he rubs at the back of his neck in an awkward manner; it's warm to the touch and he quickly assumes that it's from the rigorous workout they just put themselves through. As much as Aomine hates to admit it, Kise kept him on his toes and was definitely on par with him throughout the entire match. "Let's just head back now, okay? Like I said, I'm tired and I think my bed is calling me."

Kise snickers and agrees as he picks up his belongings and drapes his jacket over his arm. Given they're both still covered in sweat and the fact that it's more than likely cooler outside than it is in the gym, Aomine does the same and leads the way from the gym.

After nearly two weeks of living on campus now, this had been the most memorable day to date. He actually found himself _enjoying_ it more towards the end of the day, and he has no one but Kise to thank for that.

Looking over his shoulder, he watches as Kise scrolls through his phone, walking blindly behind the tanned teen, not a care in the world.

It's refreshing, Aomine thinks, finding someone like Kise who not only tumbled into his life unexpectedly, but is trying to get him to open up and enjoy himself. It's what he's been craving ever since he entered college, and now looking back at the blond, he thinks that he, as well as his college experience, won't be so bad after all.


End file.
